Hammers time: QHS sophomore hits walk-off grand slam, drives in nine runs in WB6 sweep

QUINCY — Trailing by 10 runs heading to the bottom of the third inning Saturday, the Quincy High School baseball team systematically started a comeback.

The rally ended in grand fashion.

The Blue Devils scored six runs in the third inning, twice more in the sixth and two more times in the seventh to send the second game of a Western Big 6 Conference twinbill with Sterling to extra innings. In the bottom of the ninth, Quincy loaded the bases with one out without hitting the ball out of the infield.

The ball that finally left the infield ended the game.

Tykell Hammers smoked a grand slam to left field, walking off with a 14-10 victory and the WB6 sweep. The Blue Devils won the first game 16-1.

It is the second consecutive weekend sweep for the Blue Devils (11-9, 5-5 WB6), and they’ve won seven of their last eight games.

This one took a two-out rally to survive. Having closed within 10-8 after Blake Bunch’s two-out RBI single in the sixth inning, the Blue Devils’ Jack Mettemeyer was hit by a pitch to get a runner on base with one out in the seventh. After another out, Evan Sohn doubled to plate Mettemeyer.

Joe Schroeder walked, Brady Lowe reached on an error and Hammers singled through the left side of the infield. Sohn scored, but Schroeder was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

Neither team threatened in the eighth inning, and Sterling went down in order in the ninth. With out in the bottom of the frame, Sohn reached on a bunt single, Schroeder reached on an error and Lowe had an infield single.

Hammers hit his grand slam on the first pitch he saw.

Hammers went 3 for 6 with seven RBIs, while Lowe went 3 for 5 and Sohn and Bunch each had two hits. Lowe worked 5 ⅔ innings of scoreless relief with nine strikeouts to earn the victory.

In the first game, the Blue Devils scored in all four innings with Hammers going 3 for 3 with two RBIs. Schroeder, Owen Zanger and Alex Logan each had two hits with Zanger smacking a home run. Schroeder was the winning pitcher, allowing one run and four hits with two strikeouts and no walks.